Gearbox announces Homeworld 3 at PAX West

The new game will continue the story of the Hiigarans.

Earlier this month, Gearbox teased a special Homeworld announcement coming during its show at PAX West. Today that announcement was made, and it's one I've been waiting for: Homeworld 3 is happening.

Homeworld 3 is being developed by Blackbird Interactive, a studio headed by veterans of the original games whose previous project was the 2016 Homeworld prequel Deserts of Kharak. The new game is still very early in pre-production, and will be supported by a crowdfunding campaign on Fig with a goal of just $1—Gearbox said the point is to enable fans "to invest and participate in the success of the title," and also help set its priorities through a backers-only survey on features, priorities, and collector's edition contents.

The trailer is purely cinematic, but even so I think it's very encouraging. It looks right and it sounds right: The music, voices, muffled ambient audio, and those distinctive engine trailers are straight out of the original Homeworld (in some cases literally, I think) and Blackbird CEO Rob Cunningham said the new game "will capture the mood and tone of Homeworld and deliver it in an exactly expected and juicy, lovely way."

Homeworld 3 is currently targeted for release in late 2022. The Fig campaign runs for 30 days—the pitch video is below.

Andy covers the day-to-day happenings in the big, wide world of PC gaming—the stuff we call "news." In his off hours, he wishes he had time to play the 80-hour RPGs and immersive sims he used to love so much.